Rail-anchor.



B. WOLHAUPTER.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE 6.1911.

1292.554. PIII-@md :IMI 28", um.

. 7 wim-@CMLWM BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER, 0F N 'W BGHELLE, NEW YQM.

RAIL-ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented, d' 28, 1919.

Application filed June G, 1917. 'Serial No. 173,?t1.

1o all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WoLHAUrrnn, a citizen of the United States,

residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new 'and useful Improvements inRail-Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for preventing the creeping ofrailroad rails, and has for its object a device of this character whichWill satisfactorily respond to manu` facturing and engineeringrequirements.

It is of practical importance in the construction of a rail anchor oranti-creeper to produce a device that is not only effective for thepurpose, but which may be economically manufactured by conventional processes and which may be employed with the ordinary track equipment. Thepresent invention has these desirable characteristics and features, andalso has in View a simple and novel form of construction which isreadily applicable to rails of -dii'erent size, and which will remainoperative and eifective at all times regardless of the conditions ofload and temperature changes to which the rail is subjected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail anchor utilizinga small amount of metal in its manufacture, and also being of a formthat permits the same `to be made by a rolling operation in the passesof a rolling mill, thus facilitating not only-economical but also rapidmanufacture of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail anchor devicehaving no working or movable parts of any character, but simplyconsisting of a single unit of construction having a clamping and bitingengagement upon therail ange and cooperating with a tie as an abutment.Also the invention contemplates a rail anchor or creepcheck which may beapplied to the rail by the simple act of driving the same onto the railange by a man1 or similar implement.

With these and other objects in view which will readily appear to thosefamiliar with the art as the characteristic features of the inventionare better understood, the latp ter consists of a resilient rail cliphaving the novel features of improvement hereinafter fully pointed out,and illustrated in the drawings l The distinctive and necessary featuresof the improved rail clip are susceptible of structural modiiicationwithout departing from the spirit or scope ci? the invention, butcertain preferred and practical embodiments thereof are shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a general view illustrating a rail having applied theretorail anchoring clips, in accordance with the present invention, andcoperating with the ties of the road bed.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a cross section ofV the base of the railillustrating the applicatlon of the improved clip thereto indicating bydotted lines the clip in its contracted initial form about to beforcibly driven ontov the rail Hangs.

Fig. 3 is a similar' view illustrating a modified construction of theclip.

F ig. et is a similar View illustrating the reversibility of the clip,and a me iied form.

Like references designate corresponding parts of the several igurcs ofthe drawings.-

The improved rail anchor or creepercheck constituting the presentinvention primarily consists of a resilient clip C constructed of a.single piece of metal made in. a substantially ll-ferm, thus producing adevice having upper and lower divergently related members l and 2integrally connect ed at one end by the fold or bight 3. By reason ofthe divergent disposition of the upper and lower members l and 2 of theclip there is provided between such members a tapered flange receivingpocket or space 4, which receives the tapered iiange of the rail, aswill be apparent, upon inspection of the drawings. rIhe device in itsapplied position is adapted to bear against a xed abutment such as therai] tie.

A distinctive feature of the invention is the resilient characteristicof the clip, and its spring clamping action upon the rail iange.Accordingly, it is proposed to make the clip of high-carbon steelsuitably tempered so as to provide and maintain the 'spring actionthereof. It will therefore be n Se,

gripping or biting engagement of the railY anchor with the rail langemay be accomplished in different ways. @ne practicalV and effectivemeans for attaining this result is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawingwherein the upper jaw or member l of the clip is illustrated as having abowed portion fl provided at approximately the Vterminals of the arc orbow with, the projecting gripping toes 5 and 6 adapted to engage thesurface or" the rail flange at spaced points. Also in the constructionreferred to the opposite jaw or member 2 may be given a curved tormationso .as to conveniently provide the same with an intermediately locatedgrippinig projection 7, which preferably lies opposite that part oi' themember between the gripping projections or toes 5 and 6.

By way of illustrating the range of modication that may be resorted toin providing the gripping or biting elements of the spring clamping jawsof the clip, reference is made to Fig. 3 oi the drawings. ln this igureof the drawings all of the essential features of the clip above referredto are preserved and there is shown a construction wherein the grippingor biting elements 5, 6, and 7 may be in the form of comparatively sharpteeth or points which will actually bite into the metal of the railflange and eectually secure the clip against possibility of displacementafter having once been applied.

Obviously, various other forms of gripping or vbiting elements could beprovided. -on the spring clamping jaws of the clip,

without in any way departing from the spirit or scope of the invention,and it is therefore believed that the illustrations given by the figuresof the drawings are sufficient to give a clear understanding of theselfeatures of the invention.

lin the manufacture of the improved an chor or Creeper-check it will beunderstood, particularly by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings, that inits normal and initial condition the rail clip is contracted or closed,that, is with its opposite jaws unexpanded and closer together than thethicker part of the rail flange. To apply the device, it is simplynecessary t0 slip the same over the outer edge of the rail ange, thusbringing one jaw above the rail flange and one jaw below the railfiange, after which the trachman, by means of a maul or drivingimplementwill forcibly drive the clip inwardly upon the tapering railflange. 'lhis drivingon operation causes a distortion or opening up ofthe resilient clip as they upper jaw rides inwardly and upwardly overthetop surface of the rail ange. At the same time there will be atendency of the bowed portion 4- oi' the clip to flatten out more or.less under the opening pressure of the inclined upper surface of therail ange thereby resulting in increasing the biting engagement oli' theelements 5 and 6 as the clip is crowded inwardly upon the rail flange.Also, as the resilient or spring clip is distorted, when driven inplace, the gripping projection 7 on the jaw 2 of the clip will engagewith the lower surface of the rail flange and by reason ci'l therelative disposition of the grippinig projections 5, 6, and 7 the clipwill have a three-point contact with the rail flange, in alternatelocations, (that is at. 5, 6, and 7), 'which provides a gripping'orbiting engagement between the clip and the rail flange that willeffectively secure the clip against displacement from ordinary oraccidental causes.

ll/'hile Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings illustrate the upper clamping jawl, with its two points of contact 5 and 6 engaging with the upper sideof the rail liange, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 4 of thedrawings that this type of clip is readily reversible in its positionupon therail flange so as to brin the. two points of contact 'beneaththe rai liange and the single point of contact above the rail ange asshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Also, it will be observed that Fig. lillustrates a simple and practical embodiment of the invention which canbe readily made from bar steel cut to length, then heated and formed tothe shape as shown. ln this illustrated embodiment" it is shown that thepoints 5, 6, and 7 may be somewhat flattened.

llhile the rail anchor of the present invention may be manufactured inany suitable manner, Figs. 2 and Ll illustrate forms that may be madefrom bar steel cut to length, then heated and formed to shape as shown,and Fig. 3 illustrates a construction which may be made in the samepasses oi a rolling mill. However, it will of course be understood thatthe present invention is not limited to any particular method of makingthe clip, and is conned to the article itself having the structuralcharacteristics described.

l: claim:

l. A rail anchor comprising a resilient rail iiange-embracing cliphaving opposite spring clamping jaws provided with gripping` elementsrespectively engaging the top and bottom surfaces of the same railflange.

2. El rail anchor comprising a resilient clip having upper and lowerspring clamping jaws for application to one rail flange, one of the jawsbeing provided with a pair or" gripping elements, and the other jawbeing provided with a single gripping element.

3. A rail anchor comprising a resilient clip having upper and lowerspring clamping jaws, one ot' which jaws is'provided with a bowedgripping portion.

4. A rail anchor comprising a resilient clip having upper and lowerspring clamping jaws, one of which jaws is provided with a bowed portionhaving spaced gripping elements.

5. .A rail anchor comprising` a spring clip Ahaving upper and lowerclamping jaws, one

of which is provided with a bowed portion having at the ends of its arcprojecting gripping elements.

6. A rail anchor comprising a spring clip having upper' and lowerclamping jaws, one 0f said jaws being provided with a bowed portionhaving s aced gripping projections, and adapted to be distorted by theopera.- tion of forcing the clip onto the rail iiange.

A rail anchor comprising a spring clip having upper and lower clampingjaws, one of the jaws having a pair of gripping elements, and the otherjaw having a single gigping element having a location interm late ofsaid pair of gripping elements.

8.' Avrail anchor comprising a spring clip having opposite clampingjaws, one of said aws being provided with a bowed portion aving grippingprojections at the ends of its arc, and the other jaw having a singlegripping projection at an intermediate point.

9.- A rail anchor comprising a spring body folded into approximatelyV-form providing a spring cliphaving upper and lower clamping jaws, saidclip being formed with ripping elements arranged to provide a tree-point contact with one rail flange.

10. A rail anchor comprising a spring clip having gripping elementsarranged to provide a three-point contact with om 'rail Harige.

11. A rail anchor comprising a spring clip having gripping elementsarranged to provide a three-point contact with one rail flange, saidgripping elements respectively engaging the top and bottomI surfaces ofsaid flange.

12. Arilient one-piece rail anchor adapted for engagement with one railflange only and provided with jaws having gripping elements adapted,when moved transversely on the rail flange, to 4tighten on 'glie flange.

13. A rail anchor adapted foi engagement with one rail fiange only andcomprising a spring clip provided with three gripping elements.

M A rail anchor adapted for engagement with one rail flange only andcomprising a s ring clip provided with three gripping e emcnts arrangedin staggered relation.

15. A rail anchor comprising a resilient one-piece clip adapted to gripone rail fiange, and having three gripping point-s alternately engagingthe topV and bottom of the rail flange.

16. A rail anchor comprising a resilient clip having upper and lowerspring clamping jaws, one of which jaws is provided with a. bowedgripping portion and adapted when moved transversely on the flange totighten on the flange.

17. A rail anchor comprising a resilient clip having upper-.and lowerspring clamp ing jaws, one of which jaws is provided with a bowedportion having spaced grip ping elements and adapted to be applied toone rail flange.

18. A rail anchor comprising a spring clip having upper and lowerclamping jaws, one of which is provided with a bowed portion having atthe ends of its arc projecting gripping elements and adapted when movedtransversely on the rail flange, to tighten on the flange.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

BENJAMN WOLHAUPTER.

Witnesses:

HAROLD VAN Rrrnn, JOHN R. McAvoY.

